


Morning Confession

by layla_aaron



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Confessions, F/M, Fluff, I Wouldn't Dream of It, Morning Cuddles, Schmoop, Second Chances, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love, waking up together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-23 19:23:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1576715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/layla_aaron/pseuds/layla_aaron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina decides to confess to Robin what she's known for a very long time. His reaction takes her by surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Morning Confession

**Author's Note:**

> This has been kicking around in my head for several episodes. It's schmoopy and schmaltzy and all kinds of sweet fluff. This is my birthday gift to myself.
> 
>  **Author Disclaimer:** "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.

Regina loved the weight of his arm draped across her waist. She loved the feel of his body spooning hers, the sense of belonging _with_ someone, sharing intimacy like this. In the days since their first kiss, they'd spent several night like this, asleep on her bed, curled together. Sure, she'd slept with other men before, but the sex was either to slake her physical needs or a means to an end. 

Even though she and Robin had kissed, caressed, stroked one another, they seemed to stop short of ripping their clothes off and going at it like bunnies gone wild. It was different, and their intimacy was based on being near one another, not the physical joining of their bodies. This was falling asleep together just to be close and within arm's reach. Her nightmares were fading, even in the face of dealing with another reminder of the damage wrought by her mother so long ago. 

She stroked his arm, smiling to herself. Her smile faded when she looked at the arm and saw the lion tattoo. She must have tensed in his embrace, because a warm, masculine voice whispered in her ear, "I'm not sure the proper term of coinage, but a coin for your thoughts, Your Majesty."

"Robin, I, I have a confession to make."

"This sounds very serious. Should I call Friar Tuck?" he teased.

Regina shook her head. "It is serious, but it's not that kind of confession. It's something I've kept hidden from you, wrongfully so." She turned to face him, lifting a hand to trail fingertips along his cheek and down his jaw.

He snagged her hand and pressed kisses to each fingertip. "Regina, I know of your reputation in the Enchanted Forest, of the things you did in that realm. I've also heard the rumors of things you did in this realm. None of that matters to me. I see a strong, intelligent, powerful woman, who just happens to be stunning in her beauty as well as a damn good kisser." He smiled at her. "Nothing you could tell me will change my mind and send me running for the forest."

She swallowed then whispered, "You may feel differently once you hear what I have to say." She stroked the lion tattoo and let out a heavy sigh. "You've met Tinkerbell and know that she and I have a history."

"Aye. You've mentioned that."

"Well, she did something, showed me something long ago. Something that impacts both of us." Regina sighed again then murmured under her breath, "Why is this so damned difficult?"

"Regina?" Robin cupped her cheek, stroked his thumb across it. "I know you're worried that I'm going to reject you or abandon you, but no matter what you tell me, I have no intention of leaving you."

"Oh, you say that now, but what I did, or rather didn't do, changed many lives other than my own. Yours, Tink's, Snow's, so many other lives in which I wreaked havoc because I didn't do something as simple as walk up to a man with a lion tattoo, sitting in a tavern, enjoying a pint with some mates, and introduce myself." Her words tumbled out in a rush, and she stared intently into his eyes. "She showed me my true love, and I was too afraid to take that step and introduce myself. I ran away from you that night, just as I have here in Storybrooke."

"Regina?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"How long ago was this?"

"I'm not sure, but it was obviously before I cast the curse. Why?"

"Before Henry was born?"

"Of course."

"Before Roland was born?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm glad you didn't introduce yourself to me."

"Robin, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying." She stared at him, trying to decipher the meaning of his words from his expression.

He smiled at her. "Perhaps it meant that we had to wait to reach this point together." Robin stroked her hair back from her face. "But we've reached this point now. We're here together." He pressed a kiss to her lips. "Think about it, love. If you had introduced yourself to me when Tinkerbell brought you to the tavern, then there would be no Henry, no Roland."

She drew in an unsteady breath at that thought. As drawn to this man as she was, Henry meant more to her than her own life. 

"I don't know about you, but I would never want to live in a world without either of them." He cradled her face in his hands. "I do want to live in a world where our sons are happy, healthy, and safe. We may have taken the long way round to reach one another, but consider this. Along the way we've learned much and have received two of the most precious gifts we could ever have been given. My life would not be complete without Roland, nor yours without Henry."

Regina curled closer to him, resting her face against his chest. "You're not angry or disappointed?"

"Not at all. I want to share my life with Roland, with Henry, and with you. I don't care how we reached this point; I'm only glad that we're together now." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Marry me, my Thief of Hearts," she whispered.

"What?" He glanced down at her.

She met his gaze. "It doesn't have to be some huge stately wedding. It can be just a few of us in the forest, with Friar Tuck presiding."

"Are you sure you want to be stuck with an outlaw like me for the rest of your life, Your Majesty?" He smiled at her.

"I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, to keep you by my side," she replied.

Robin chuckled then shook his head. "You don't need a formal ceremony to ensure that, love. All you have to do to see to that is to smile at me every morning when we wake and fall asleep in my arms every night after one of your devastatingly dangerous kisses."

"So, you're telling me you don't want to marry me?"

"Don't get me wrong, my beloved queen. I'd like nothing better than to marry you, but what I don't want is for you to ask me this because you think it's what I want, that it's what you must do to keep me in your life. If you're asking me to marry you because it's truly what _you_ want, then my answer is most emphatically yes, I will do you the honor of making an outlaw's wife of you."

"I..." Regina paused, taking a few seconds to consider what he said, the true meaning of his words. "You won't leave me if we're not married?"

He shook his head. "Not even wild horses or flying simians could keep me from your side. You're stuck with this scruffy thief, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, 'til d..."

Regina interrupted the flow of his words by pressing her finger to his lips. "Shh, don't put that out there. I'm not ready for anyone or anything to get wind of that option." She smiled. "And you're stuck with me, in all my hot-headed, temperamental, high-handed moments."

He chuckled. "I'll take each and every one of them, because they are part of the package along with the tender, compassionate mother and the loving woman with a backbone of steel."

"You really don't care about the things I've done?"

He shook his head. "No."

"I still have a hard time accepting that. You know that, right?"

"Aye, I do, but I'm willing to spend the rest of our lives proving it to you."

Regina smiled then tugged him close for a kiss. "There's no turning back now, Thief."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Your Majesty," he murmured against her lips.


End file.
